Just Sex
by picascribit
Summary: A year after leaving Hogwarts, Remus and Sirius learn a very important lesson as their friendship reaches a crossroads: Sex complicates things. But not always in a bad way. RemusxSirius, Dec 1979. Warning: explicit sex.


"I like this," said Sirius, finishing off his beer.

Remus looked at his own glass dubiously. "This? It's not bad, I suppose, but -"

"No, _this_." Sirius waved his hand across the table between them. "Us. Having a pint together."

A slow smile curved Remus's lips. "I don't know if you've been counting, Padfoot, but it's been rather more than a pint you've had."

Sirius huffed in annoyance. "You know what I mean. Prongs is always off with Evans these days, and Wormtail's too busy looking after his mum to come out anymore."

Remus nodded glumly and took another sip of his beer. The days of the four of them spending long, lazy evenings together seemed part of another lifetime. He wondered if, when the war ended, they might have more time for one another again, or if by then it would be too late. It already felt like they were growing apart.

"You don't think," said Sirius, eyes narrowing with sudden suspicion, "that maybe Wormtail's using his mum as an excuse, do you?"

Remus looked up at him, surprised. "What? You think he's avoiding us?"

"Dunno." Sirius shook his head. "I was just thinking, y'know, what if he's taken up with that Yaxley tart again?"

"No surprise that he wouldn't want us to know it if he has," said Remus. "It's odds on she's involved with - you know." He glanced around the pub at the chattering Muggle patrons who were unaware of the war raging under their very noses.

"You're right," Sirius sighed. "Even Pete's not that thick."

Remus left Sirius to his thoughts and went up to the bar to order them another round. The two friends were out tonight celebrating Remus's new job. Remus himself was feeling lucrative and optimistic for once, and was beginning to entertain thoughts of finally moving out of his parents' house.

When he set the pint glass down in front of Sirius, his friend looked up at him, gray eyes shining and slightly unfocussed. "You're the best, Moony."

Remus gave him a fond smile. "Don't you forget it."

"So what about you?" Sirius asked after a long swallow of beer.

"What about me what?"

"Well -" said his friend slowly, gathering his thoughts. "Prongs has got Evans. Wormtail's got his obsession with Yaxley. You seeing anyone?"

Remus shook his head. "No. Not for ages."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated, isn't it?" Remus raised his eyebrows.

"What? You mean because of -" He glanced around at the nearby Muggles and dropped his voice to a rough whisper. "- your furry little problem?"

Remus shifted uncomfortably. This was not a conversation he wanted to be having with Sirius. Especially not a slightly inebriated Sirius in the middle of a Muggle pub.

"It's not just that," said Remus, lowering his own voice. "I mean, that's part of it, but there's the war, too. Now just doesn't seem like a good time to start something."

Sirius made a face. "You think too much, Moony."

"Well, I have to, don't I?" Remus said tartly. "Say I meet someone I like and I want to ask them out. If I tell them I'm a - you know - straight off, they're going to run the other way, aren't they? And if I don't tell them until they get to know me better, that's like lying to them about who I am. Not a great basis for a relationship."

Sirius grinned into his beer. "You just need to find someone who doesn't care about - that."

Remus gave a humourless chuckle. "If you meet anyone like that, you point them in my direction, yeah?"

"Oh, c'mon Moony." Sirius nudged his arm companionably. "When was the last time you pulled?"

Sirius always seemed to get nosier when drunk. Remus sighed. "I dunno. Six months ago?"

Sirius grinned at that. "You sly dog! You never said. So, how long did you wait before telling them about - things?"

Remus's ears turned pink. "Didn't," he mumbled into his pint glass. "Wasn't really a long-term thing."

Sirius barked with laughter, eyes dancing. "Do my ears deceive me, or did our Monsieur Moony have himself a one night stand?"

The rest of Remus's face joined his ears. "Was five nights," he mumbled.

"Anyone I know?" Sirius asked, still fizzing with laughter.

"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell." Remus raised his chin, trying to pull together the edges of his frayed dignity.

Sirius grinned. "A gentleman doesn't have one night stands either, last I checked. Oh, all right, five."

"What about you?" Remus wasn't normally one to pry into people's private affairs since he didn't much like it when others nosed into his business, but he knew the only way to stem Sirius's onslaught was to turn it back on his friend. "You seeing anyone?"

Sirius shook his head. "Not for a couple of months now. Not as long as your dry spell, but still longer than I like."

Remus snorted. "If I know you, Padfoot, you've got your eye on someone."

Sirius pursed his lips and gave his friend a long, considering look. "Maybe I do."

"Better not tell me her name," Remus grinned. "I might feel honour-bound to warn her about you. Does she know you're interested yet?"

Sirius shook his head again. "No. I'm - just waiting for the right moment, you know?"

"Well, best of luck," said Remus as the bartender rang the bell for last call. "We'd best be getting on. Streets will be full of Muggles in a minute."

Sirius was notably more unsteady on his feet than Remus as they exited the pub and turned down a dark alley to Apparate, but that wasn't unusual. One of the many side effects of Remus's condition was a high tolerance for alcohol. It was no matter. He would just have to make sure his friend got home safely before he found his way back to his parents' house.

Stumbling over his own feet, Sirius bumped into Remus, who lost his balance and had to lean back against the brick wall, clutching the other man by the arms to steady him. Sirius laughed softly into Remus's shoulder.

"You're drunk," Remus said fondly, trying to ignore the familiar warmth that rushed through him whenever Sirius touched him.

"Maybe a little." Sirius's warm breath puffed against Remus's neck, a sharp contrast to the cold winter air, and Remus shivered.

"Well, let's get you home, then," he said a bit breathlessly.

Sirius didn't budge. "In a minute."

Warm lips touched just below Remus's ear, and he gasped. "Padfoot - what are you doing?"

"What's it look like?"

That - _that_ - was very definitely a nuzzle. Sirius was _nuzzling_ him. Remus realised he was still clutching his friend's arms, and let go. Sirius took a step back, looking disappointed but slightly steadier.

"Sirius - I'm not - _gay_," Remus lied.

Sirius cocked his head quizzically. "Are you not? Then that wasn't you playing the pronoun game the last half hour in the pub?"

"The what?" said Remus, disconcerted.

"Oh, don't worry," Sirius assured him, grinning. "You were subtle about it. But it was all 'someone' or 'anyone' or 'they'. I'm guessing your five night stand didn't have tits."

"Look," said Remus, flustered, "even if that were true - Sirius, _you're_ not gay."

Sirius's grin widened. "That'll come as a shock to the blokes I've shagged."

"You've - _what_?" Remus spluttered. "Who - ? Since when - ?"

Sirius shrugged, still grinning. "Since always. And I have it on good authority that a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."

"Merlin," breathed Remus. It was like the best and worst thing that had ever happened to him all rolled into one. Sirius was queer. Sirius wanted him. But he didn't know - he didn't understand -

"So," said Sirius, moving closer again and smoothing the collar of Remus's wool coat. "I assume we're not going back to your parents' place. I guess it's mine, then."

"Yes." Remus stiffened his resolve. "You are going home and you're going straight to bed, and when you wake up tomorrow, either you won't remember this conversation, or you're welcome to pretend that you don't. I won't mention it again."

Sirius scowled at him as Remus offered his arm to guide their Apparition back to Sirius's flat.

He risked popping directly to the kitchen door. It was late and dark and unlikely any of the neighbours would be watching. Necessary security measures meant they could not Apparate directly into the flat. Even Sirius's connection to the Floo network was switched off most of the time these days. Sirius had forgotten his key - again - but opened the door with a light tap of his wand.

"You know you're supposed to be pretending you're a Muggle here, don't you?" said Remus in a hushed voice, following Sirius into the darkened flat. "Do you want me to fix you a cuppa before I go, or straight to bed?"

"Bed," mumbled Sirius.

When they entered the flat's small bedroom, though, Sirius shut the door behind them and turned, twining his arms around Remus's neck.

"Let's fuck, Moony," he mumbled into Remus's scarf. "Wanted you for ages."

Remus tried desperately to ignore the way Sirius's words went straight to his cock, which had been rather insistently making its own opinion of matters known since Sirius had first stumbled into him outside the pub.

"You're drunk," Remus said again, trying to push him away. "You don't know what you're saying."

Sirius pulled away enough to look into Remus's eyes. "I'm not so drunk I don't know my own mind, Moony. I want to go to bed with you."

Remus couldn't breathe. Sirius's eyes were clear and gray, and his voice wasn't slurred at all. He really wasn't that drunk.

"You were just pretending, to get me here, weren't you?" Remus accused.

Sirius grinned. "I'm a born actor, me. So, how are we going to do this?"

"We're not, Padfoot." Remus unwrapped Sirius's arms from around his neck and gently but firmly pushed him away.

"Why not?" Sirius demanded. "We're adults. I want it. You want it." He smirked down at the more-than-obvious bulge in Remus's trousers.

Remus looked at his friend and sighed. There was no way he was going to get out of this with his dignity intact. "Because I don't want to be one of your conquests, Padfoot. And I don't want to lose you as a friend."

Sirius's eyes softened. "You wouldn't, Moony. That would never happen."

"You don't know that, Padfoot." Remus shook his head. "I'm not sure I'm willing to risk it."

Sirius caught the thread of uncertainty in his words and pressed the advantage. "We've been friends for eight years, Moony. Just think of all the stuff we've been through. Nothing's going to wreck that. Even that stupid thing with Snape in sixth year -"

Remus looked up sharply. It had become known as The Incident between the four of them, and was not often mentioned, especially by Sirius, whose fault it had been. For him to bring it up voluntarily -

"- we got past that, didn't we?" Sirius was saying. "That was bad, but it still didn't wreck things. This is just sex. It doesn't have to change anything, either."

_Just sex._ It was easy for Sirius to say that. But it would never be "just sex" for Remus. Not with Sirius. Not when Remus had been thinking and dreaming and longing for him for more than three years now. He knew he shouldn't do it, no matter how badly he wanted to. And he wanted to very badly just now.

"You don't know what you're asking, Padfoot," he said. "You may not think so, but it's complicated."

"Because you're a werewolf?" Sirius demanded hotly. "You know I don't give a toss about that. I'd want you if you were a vampire or a centaur or a fucking merman!"

Something blazed in Remus's chest. "Is that what this is about? Your bloody obsession with Dark creatures? You've been shagging vampires and things, and now you want to know what it's like with a werewolf, is that it?"

"No!" Sirius spat back at him. "It's not about Dark fucking creatures. It's about _you_. The wolf, the prefect, the sodding war hero - it's all _you_, Moony. I want _you_."

Remus's resolve crumbled under that burning gray glare. No sooner were the words out of Sirius's mouth than Remus had him against the door, wrists pinned at his sides, their mouths clashing, hot and hungry. When he drew back, they were both breathing heavily. Sirius looked mildly stunned.

"Is this what you want?" Remus asked hoarsely. He was sweating inside his coat and scarf. "It's three days to the moon. It's not the prefect you'd be getting."

"God, yes!" Sirius moaned, writhing against him. "Please, Moony -"

The sound of Sirius, undone and begging, shattered the last of Remus's resistance. With a soft growl, he nipped at Sirius's throat, then stepped away, leaving him to sag against the wood of the door.

"Undress," he said roughly.

Sirius hesitated only a heartbeat. His wide eyes never left Remus's as he took off his jumper, his tee-shirt, his jeans, slowly peeling off each item and dropping them on the floor as Remus shed his scarf and coat. At last Sirius stood naked and mute, instinctively awaiting further instructions.

"Now suck me."

"Uh?" Sirius said, as though the ability to process language had deserted him.

Remus took a step toward him, testing, seeing how far Sirius would take this game he was playing. "Get. On your knees. And suck. My. Cock," he said slowly and clearly, gazing directly into Sirius's glazed gray eyes.

With an expression that was at least as much awe as desire, Sirius fell to his knees, fingers scrabbling to undo Remus's belt and flies. There was nothing tentative in his actions as he grasped Remus's hips and swallowed his cock with a hungry, guttural sound. Remus swore, fingers twisting in Sirius's hair as he plundered his friend's hot, needy mouth.

When it became too much, he pushed the other man away. Sirius gazed up at him, dark eyed, mouth wet and red and swollen.

"On the bed," Remus rasped.

Wordlessly, obediently, Sirius rose to his feet and moved toward the bed. He lay back, legs apart, body brazenly on display. Remus had seen him naked before, of course. Changing in the dormitory. In the showers. Swimming in the lake. But never like this. He drank in the sight greedily.

Sirius was beautiful. His dark hair and long lashes were a compelling contrast to his pale skin. The line of cheek, nose and jaw were perfectly balanced. That much Remus had known and known well for years. His body was a continuation of that perfection. Fair, flawless skin glowed in the low light, long lines of bone and muscle so well-proportioned that a sculptor could not have improved upon such art. His cock, rising thick and red from the thatch of black hair between Sirius's thighs, twitched as if it felt the weight of Remus's gaze. Slowly, Sirius began to stroke himself.

A shiver of desire passed down Remus's spine. Part of him wanted to keep his clothes on - didn't want to expose his scarred, skinny, flawed body to such perfection - but the hunger, so long suppressed, to feel Sirius's skin against his own, was more than Remus could resist.

Sirius did not stop touching himself, nor did he show any sign of disgust, as Remus shed his clothing onto the floor. Of course he had seen the scars before, but never like this.

_How can he want me?_ Remus wondered as he crawled up onto the bed beside his friend. Bending his head, he marveled at the way Sirius surrendered completely to his kiss, lips parting eagerly, his hands touching him, tracing the lines of his scars with a gentle caress.

With a moan, Remus rolled over, straddling Sirius's hips. He laced their fingers together, pinning the other man's hands to the bed. "Is this what you want?" he asked again, searching Sirius's face for a clue to what he was thinking.

"More than anything," whispered Sirius, eyes fixed on Remus's cock, hovering inches from his own.

"I want to hear you say it," Remus said. "Tell me what you want."

Sirius looking up into Remus's eyes and licked his lips nervously. "I want you, Moony. I want you to fuck me."

A growl of pleasure rose up in Remus's throat. "God, yes!"

He crushed Sirius's mouth in another kiss. Their bodies collided and Sirius made an inarticulate noise as their cocks slid deliciously along one another. Remus rolled his hips, reveling in the sensation, but after a moment, Sirius's hand was on his chest, pushing him away.

"Too close," he gasped, face flushed. "God, Moony! You barely have to touch me and I'm ready to come."

Only in Remus's wildest and most secret dreams had Sirius ever looked so wanton and desperate, and Remus knew he wouldn't last long either.

"D'you have lube?" he asked, dipping his head to taste the sweat on Sirius's throat.

Sirius rolled away, reaching for the drawer of the nightstand. After a moment's rummaging, he withdrew a mangled tube and tossed it onto the bed beside Remus. But Remus shook his head, handing it back to him.

"I want to watch you prepare yourself for me."

Sirius shivered visibly at the words. "God, Moony. Never thought you'd be like this."

"Is it a problem?"

Sirius's face lit up in a wide, lazy grin. "No, it's brilliant. Should've done this ages ago."

Remus watched, leaning up on an elbow, as Sirius took one of the thick pillows and tucked it under his lower back, drawing his knees up, thighs spread. He hesitated.

"Is on my back okay?" he asked uncertainly. "I - I'd like to be able to see you, if that's all right."

Remus's heart squeezed at Sirius's uncharacteristic insecurity. "It's perfect," he assured him, kissing his shoulder. "I want to be able to see you, too."

Sirius's hands trembled as he uncapped the lube, squeezing some of the clear gel out onto his hand. He rubbed his fingers together, coating them with the slippery substance, then reached down between his parted thighs. He stroked himself once, cupped his balls briefly, and, moaning softly, slid a finger inside himself. Remus watched with naked avarice as Sirius slowly and unselfconsciously fucked himself with first one, then two fingers.

"Want you, Moony,' he panted, hips moving against his hand. "Want you in me _now_."

Remus grabbed the discarded lube and squeezed out a generous amount into his palm, quickly slicking himself up and down before the stuff even had a chance to warm properly. Kneeling between Sirius's splayed thighs, Remus gently pushed his hand aside and bent over him. Sirius's back arched as their cocks touched again, gasping into Remus's kiss.

"God, you're amazing, Padfoot," he murmured. "If you only knew -"

He shifted the position of his hips so that the head of his cock pressed against Sirius's entrance.

"Ready?"

Sirius nodded, eyes shining. His arms moved around Remus, hands resting lightly on his back.

There was less resistance than Remus expected. Just the slow, tight slide through the ring of muscle into the enveloping heat of Sirius's body. Sirius gasped at the initial intrusion, but made no sound of pain or discomfort as Remus buried himself deep inside him.

"All right?" Remus asked, breathless, trembling with the effort it cost him to hold still and give Sirius a moment to adjust.

"Perfect," Sirius breathed. "Bloody perfect - go on, Moony," he urged, fingers pressing into Remus's back.

With a groan, Remus surged forward, plunging himself into Sirius's body with swift, deep strokes that the other man met with equal measure. He could feel the radiant heat of Sirius's skin against his own, feel Sirius's cock sliding and straining against his belly, smell his sweat and desire, and taste them on his throat, hear Sirius's broken voice begging him, _Fuck me, Moony! Oh, harder! Please!_ It was beautiful. It was madness. It was perfect.

"_Padfoot_," he moaned. "_Padfoot_ -"

A hitching whine escaped Sirius's throat, his back arching up off the bed as hot fluid spurted between their bodies. Remus felt Sirius's muscles clench tight around him, pulsing and fluttering in time with his orgasm, and _oh, God!_ So much time spent longing and wishing, and now Sirius was here, coming on him, around him, _because_ of him, sobbing his name over and over again. It was too much. Remus broke like a wave against him, helpless cries muffled in his friend's beautiful dark hair as he spilled himself deep inside Sirius's body.

There was a moment of stunned, sweat-soaked gasping before reason returned to either of them. And then Remus had to get away, because if he didn't, he knew he would gather his friend into his arms and confess the one final secret he had promised he would take with him to the grave. He pulled out and away from Sirius and lay on his back, skin cooling in the night air of the bedroom.

"It's never been like that before," said Sirius's voice from beside him.

"Sorry," said Remus immediately, a knot of worry forming suddenly in his guts. "It wasn't - good?"

Sirius gave a soft, helpless laugh. "Not good? Moony, it was _brilliant_. I didn't know it could be like that."

"Yeah," said Remus softly. "Me either."

"Moony?" Sirius's voice was earnest. Remus felt him raise himself up on his elbow, and he was suddenly afraid to look at him.

"Yeah?" he said again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Course you can, Padfoot."

"You don't have to - I mean, I know this was all my idea, but - is this just a one-off?"

"I don't know," Remus answered truthfully.

"Right," sighed Sirius. "It's just - I don't really know what I want it to be, either. I know I liked it. More than liked. God, you were amazing! I think I just need to know right now if it's never going to happen again, so I don't waste too much time hoping."

Remus turned his head to look up into the troubled gray eyes above him. The truth was, he didn't think he ever wanted to get out of this bed again. He just wanted to stay there forever, naked and with Sirius, close enough to touch and kiss and make love whenever the urge took him. And looking at Sirius now, he suspected the urge would take him frequently.

"I wouldn't rule out the possibility," he said at last.

Sirius gave a long sigh of relief. "Oh, good. So you'll still respect me in the morning?"

Remus couldn't hide a smile at that. "And here I thought I was the one whose virtue was compromised."

"Nah," grinned Sirius. "I already knew you were a tart, didn't I? Five night stands indeed! That lucky bugger. Tell me I get at least that much?"

Remus bit his lip. "We'll see."

"Do I get the rest of tonight, at least?" Sirius's hand came to rest in the centre of Remus's chest, right over his heart, as if he thought Remus might get up and leave without some form of restraint.

The reluctant smile returned to the corner of Remus's mouth, and a hand came up to touch Sirius's cheek. "I might be able to stay for breakfast."

Sirius's kiss on his mouth was tender and lingering, and there wasn't much more talking for the next half hour or so. When next they came to rest, spent and drowsy, their fingers were laced together and Sirius's head pillowed on Remus's shoulder.

He was just fading into unconsciousness when Sirius said quietly, "If I only knew what, Moony?"

"Hmm?"

"You said. Before. If I only knew. What don't I know?"

"Oh. Nothing." Remus tried to extract his fingers, but Sirius only gripped them tighter, pulling their linked hands against his chest.

"No secrets, Moony. Please? Not anymore. I know you're a werewolf and I know you're queer, and that's all turned out pretty well, hasn't it? Why not just tell me for once, instead of making me work it out for myself?"

"Because," Remus said slowly, "some secrets make things easier to bear. The truth can make things messy and complicated."

"I think we passed 'messy and complicated' a ways back," said Sirius wryly. "So tell me."

Remus sighed. He couldn't refuse Sirius. Not when he was like this. Maybe the confession would be easier in the darkness where Sirius couldn't see him. "I - it's just that I've fancied you for a long time, Padfoot. More than fancied. I think I -" He shook his head helplessly. "You probably don't want to hear it, though. Just sex, right?"

Sirius's thumb brushed across his knuckles. "How long?" he asked softly.

"Fifth year," he said quietly. "I was almost thick enough to tell you then, too."

"It was fourth year for me," whispered Sirius.

Remus's heart skipped a beat. Sirius couldn't mean -

"It was the day after the full moon," he went on. "I'd just come back to the dorm from a detention, and you were asleep, sprawled all over your school books. It was the day you'd torn your lip, remember?"

Remus nodded slowly. He still had the thin scar. The cut had taken a long time to heal because he kept biting and sucking at it.

"I was just standing there, staring at your mouth, when I realised how much I wanted to kiss you." He laughed softly. "Nearly went off my head, realising I'd fallen for one of my best mates."

"Padfoot," Remus whispered, stunned, "that was five years ago."

"I know."

"D'you mean -? All this time -?"

Sirius nodded. "It was only tonight at the pub, listening to you choose your words, that I thought I might be in with a chance. So I took it."

"So - it's not just sex, then?"

"Not for me."

"Not for me, either," Remus confessed. "So, now what?"

"Dunno," said Sirius, lips grazing Remus's fingertips. "I guess we go to sleep. Wake up in the morning. Or afternoon. Shag. Have a shower. Shag. Have breakfast. Shag again. Eventually you'll have to go to work, then back to your parents'. I'll send you an owl asking when I can see you again. We'll meet up. I'll snog the living daylights out of you, and then we'll shag some more. Beyond that, I've no idea."

Remus chuckled softly and gathered his new lover into his arms. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

They were still in bed the next morning, finding slow, pleasant ways to wake one another up, when the front door slammed.

"Padfoot?" called a voice.

"Shit! It's Sunday!" moaned Sirius, cutting short the pleasurable activity his mouth had been engaged in. "I was supposed to meet Prongs for brunch."

He leapt out of bed and made a clumsy grab for his dressing gown just as James Potter burst into the room.

"There you are, you tosser! Thought something had happened to you. I was worried sick -" Then his brain realised what his eyes were seeing, and abandoned his mouth to hang absurdly open.

"James," Sirius said, quickly covering his bare lower half with the dressing gown, "why don't you go into the kitchen and make us a cup of tea? I'll be there in a minute."

James gave a jerky nod, turned on his heel, and closed the door carefully behind him.

Sirius looked at Remus - bright red and with the sheets yanked up to his chin - and burst out laughing. "Well," he said when he could breathe, "that might not be how I'd've chosen to tell him, but it was almost worth it for the look on his face."

Remus snorted and lowered the sheet. "I guess this means shower sex is canceled."

Sirius dropped the dressing gown and crawled back onto the bed to give Remus the thorough snogging he so richly deserved. "Mmm ... I can see I'm going to love waking up with you," he said when he reluctantly broke away. "You can go grab a shower, though, if you like. I'll deal with Prongs."

He found his best friend standing in the middle of the flat's small kitchen, staring at the kettle as if he were trying to work out what it was for.

Sirius sighed, plucked the kettle from the hob, filled it with water from the tap, and turned on the gas. Normally, he would have heated the water by magic, but he felt as if he might want the interruption of the kettle's whistle in a couple of minutes if things became unbearably awkward. He sank into one of the wooden chairs around the kitchen table and gestured for James to take another.

"You all right, mate?" he asked.

"Er -" said James.

Sirius couldn't help a grin. "Serves you right, busting into people's bedrooms without knocking. I thought your parents raised you better than that."

James gave him a weak smile. "Yeah. Sorry. So -"

"So -?" Sirius encouraged.

"You and Remus."

Sirius felt like he was never going to stop grinning. _Me and Remus._ "Looks like."

James cleared his throat. "How long -?"

"I wasn't keeping it from you, mate," Sirius assured him. "It just - sort of happened after the pub last night."

He saw the beginnings of anger set in at the corners of James's mouth. "So, what? You got drunk and just fancied seeing what it was like having it off with a bloke?"

That wiped the grin off Sirius's face. "It's not like that, Prongs. I'm queer, all right? And I've fancied Moony for ages. I just didn't know how you'd take it."

"All right." James nodded, swallowing visibly. "And Remus -?"

"He's queer, too. I didn't know for sure before last night. You can yell at me if you like, but if you give him trouble about it, I will hex you where you sit."

James raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "If you're happy being shirt-lifters, I won't bother you about it. It's just - a bit of a shock walking in on your two best mates doing - that."

Sirius scowled. "We weren't doing anything, if you recall. I was in the process of making myself decent for you when you came barging in unannounced."

"All right, I know it," snapped James, reddening. "Said I was sorry, didn't I? So was it just last night, or are you two - together now, or something?"

"That's rather a personal question, don't you think, Prongs?" Remus came into the kitchen just as the kettle began to whistle, and reached into the cupboard for the tea things, his hair still wet from the shower, dressed in the clothes he had been wearing the night before. "Care to explain your intentions towards Lily?"

James turned a brighter red. "I - er - as a matter of fact - Look, I'm glad you're here, Moony. There's something I wanted to tell you both."

Remus raised his eyebrows and glanced at Sirius as he set three mugs on the table. "He didn't look glad to see me a little while ago, did he?"

"I'm over it, all right?" James said impatiently. "You're queer. You're shagging. It's none of my business. Moving on."

Sirius grinned. He could tell from his friend's uncomfortable posture that his declaration of being "over it" was patently untrue, but the fact that James would say it at all made Sirius appreciate for the millionth time just why James Potter was his best friend in all the world.

"So what was it you wanted to tell us, Prongs?" he asked.

James took a deep breath. "I - we - Lily's pregnant. We're getting married."


End file.
